Monday, May 27, 2013

I know many people who question Catholicism.It's not that they don't want to believe, per se, but it is that they need more evidence. Or explanation.The Trinity comes up in almost all of those conversations."How can one Person be three People?" they ask.First I correct them, and explain that God is not a person like us. It is important that they understand that, first and foremost. Yes, Jesus came to us in human form, but certainly God is something much more Spiritual than us. That alone should help us realize that the Trinity is beyond Human example. Then I try to use something earthly to help them along. Take water for example. It can take the form of liquid, ice or steam. Three different forms, but still H2O at its core. Most people usually get this, but can't make the leap from water to God.Then I usually end the conversation by saying that I don't fully understand the Trinity either.This is usually received with confusion.I explain that it is impossible for us to fully understand the Trinity, and many other Mysteries. We can only understand up to a point, and the delta between that point, and the full understanding, is made up by Faith. The difference between them and me, I explain, is not that I understand God's mysteries any more than they do. The difference is the amount of Faith we have.And then I say a silent prayer to the Holy Spirit to strengthen theirs.God Bless.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues." - Acts 2:4Well then, the Holy Spirit must be with me. Half the time, when I talk, people look at me like I am speaking a different language, too!< drum rimshot >A Blessed Pentecost to all of you.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

"Lord Jesus, we are an Easter people, and alleluia is our song. May we radiate the joy of Easter and live in the reality of Christ's victory over sin and death."This was my reflection on Friday and I've been reading it since.There is something so beautiful about it. And instead of cluttering it up with my rambling, I'm just going to let it sit there in all its splendor."Lord Jesus, we are an Easter people, and alleluia is our song. May we radiate the joy of Easter and live in the reality of Christ's victory over sin and death."

Sunday, May 5, 2013

The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to continue learning about our Catholic faith.It is important for many reasons, not the least of which is so we can understand God's will for us, and learn to love and obey Him to our fullest.But it is also important so that you can correctly spread the Word. The key word there is correctly. Because incorrect "preaching" is sometimes worse than no preaching at all.For example, last week an NBA player publicly admitted he was gay. This was followed by a prominent sportscaster bashing him on his show, telling the world that homosexuality is a sin. I believe the sportscaster meant well, and I give him credit for speaking up as a Christian in a world where it is not politically correct to do so. But he was wrong.It is not a sin to be gay. According to Catholic teaching, it is a sin to have sexual relations outside of marriage (which can only be between a man and woman). Regardless of whether you are gay, straight, or something in between. But being gay in and of itself is not a sin.Why does this matter?Because when we misrepresent Catholic teaching, we run the risk of people turning their backs on the Faith, or practicing it incorrectly (and teaching others to do the same).Like I said, I believe this sportscaster was trying to do the right thing. But he may have done more harm than good.It highlights the importance of continually learning what the Church teaches so we can help others do the same.God Bless.